Arcanobacterium pyogenes

New name: Trueperella pyogenes

  • Characteristics:
    • Formerly known as Actinomyces pyogenes and Corynebacterium pyogenes
    • Small facultatively anaerobic rod
    • Grows slowly on blood agar to produce small, white colonies surrounded by a zone of beta-haemolysis after 48 hours
    • Produces hazy haemolysis after 24 hours; pin-point colonies after 48 hours
    • Coryneform morphology, like Chinese characters; may be curved with slightly swollen ends
    • Found in nasopharyngeal mucosa and genital tract of cattle, sheep, pigs
  • Pathogenicity
    • Opportunistic infections following injury or viral/mycoplasma infection in ruminants and pigs
    • Extracellular toxins including haemolysin, proteases, DNase and neurominidase
    • Haemolytic toxin, pyolysin, member of the thiol-activated cytolysins (pore-forming toxins); possibly cytotoxic to phagocytic cells; dermonecrotising activity
  • Clinical infections:
  • Treatment:
    • Penicillin or broad spectrum antibiotics


Characteristics

  • Formerly known as Actinomyces pyogenes and Corynebacterium pyogenes
  • Small facultatively anaerobic rod
  • Grows slowly on blood agar to produce small, white colonies surrounded by a zone of beta-haemolysis after 48 hours
  • Produces hazy haemolysis after 24 hours; pin-point colonies after 48 hours
  • Coryneform morphology, like Chinese characters; may be curved with slightly swollen ends
  • Found in nasopharyngeal mucosa and genital tract of cattle, sheep, pigs


Pathogenicity

  • Opportunistic infections following injury or viral/mycoplasma infection in ruminants and pigs
  • Extracellular toxins including haemolysin, proteases, DNase and neurominidase
  • Haemolytic toxin, pyolysin, member of the thiol-activated cytolysins (pore-forming toxins); possibly cytotoxic to phagocytic cells; dermonecrotising activity


Clinical infections

Treatment

  • Penicillin or broad spectrum antibiotics


sheep

pigs

    • Cause purulent arthritis
    • In one or more joints
    • Commonly contaminate wounds


cattle

  • Infections at any age: